Do you have a “running vest” / hydration pack?

"Watch gizmos" and headphones do not mean people are not "true runners."

You sound like someone who still has a hand-held stopwatch and a clipboard for writing down splits. Sheesh.

You know who uses a watch gizmo and headphones:

• Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Apple AirPods)
• Grant Fisher (Bose QuietComfort 55)
• Yared Nuguse (Shokz OpenRun Pro 2)
• Josh Kerr (Apple AirPods Max 2)
• Cole Hocker (Sony WH-1000XM5)
• Karsten Warholm (Bose QuietComfort 55)
• Conner Mantz (Shokz OpenRun Pro 2)
• Morgan McDonald (Beats Solo 4)
• Sean McGorty (Sony WH-1000XM5)
• Woody Kincaid (Beats)
• Charles Hicks (Apple AirPods Max 2)
• Oliver Hoare (Apple AirPods)

Yes, Salomon ADV skin 12.

Rarely do I use it on the roads, and will only use it for trail running, and hiking (when I don't want to carry a heavy pack).

It is great to have for long runs to put empty gels into a zip loc bag in the pocket; and I use it to hold my phone. Need to be on call for family purposes sometimes so it's nice to slide it in the side pocket and I don't even notice it.

Well worth it if you are trail running

those wimpy azz pieces of crap? if u wear one ur a sell out.

Yes I run to work and carry a change of clothes in a Solomon adv skin 12. Leave a pair of shoes at work to wear for the day.

I clean it every 2-3 uses in the washing machine

Anyone who says this is kidding themselves.

1-2 litres of water (plus the weight of the vest) is not insubstantial.

I bought one on sale but I almost never use it. When it is colder I don't need to carry a bunch of water with me, when it is warmer it presses my shirt against me and traps all the sweat on me (I tried to wear it without a shirt and it rubbed against my back causing a kind of rugburn). Sometimes I'll wear it in the spring or fall if I decide to run a trail or I'm going somewhere to pick something up, like some bagels on the other side of the city or something.

Seriously. I don’t even run with a phone because of the weight and feeling of having it attached somewhere. I even strip my keys down to the single one I need for my apartment or car depending on where I run. I take it off a key ring. If I have to take two keys for whatever reason, I wrap them in a thin napkin to prevent the metal clink. Amazes me how some go out there in basketball shorts with a whole pocket full of keys jingling.

It's like 2 kilos.

If you can't handle 2 extra kilos you probably shouldn't be running in the first place.

I hate carrying keys and my phone too. If I have my camelback I can put it all on my back and have free hands and can't even tell I'm wearing anything.

...on a single track rocky mountain trail. And forget a few of them so there are old water bottles sitting around on the trail for a few years.

I use them for runs 4-8 hours in the mountains.

Too short for a backpack to make sense, and no need for one just to carry hydration/snack/layer.

No water fountains out there.

Try it sometime!

I think this must just really depend on what type of vest/backpack you are using. I use one of the Salomon vests that have been mentioned and I'm able to carry two 16 oz flasks in the front with essentially no bounce or jiggle.

I was a former high level track/XC guy and never would've been caught dead running with any water on me but I've fully embraced the "hobby joggerisms" as I've moved up to the marathon in my old age. I feel like most people underhydrate and underfuel when training for marathons and to me, taking regular sips from a hydration vest/pack without slowing down is far more beneficial to training and simulates racing conditions than coming to a full stop every few miles for some drinks that have been dropped off.

And I don't think its a matter of pace or ability. I'll regularly do 20-25 @6min pace with cut downs to 5:30's with a vest with no problem.

No water, no silly vests or packs, no phones, no dumb earbuds and you can ditch the GPS watch as well if you're really feeling sassy. Just run man, just run.

I bought mine for a very long bike trip and did eventually use it for long runs in marathon prep.

I filled it with gatorade and ice and it was helpful in training nutrition. Gave me the confidence to race without gels and only carbo loading + course provided gatorade every 1-2 miles. Never bonked.

Unless you are a ultra runner you look like a doofus.

yeah but at some point in life you get to a point where you really don't care if you look like a doofus.

Some of these posters have never been in an actual wilderness zone and it shows.

I don't have a real hydration pack. I have a small Osprey pack, a Day-lite I think? I'll take it on multi-hour hike/walk trips. I gotta stop to get out water, but I'm usually stopping here and there for a view or a rest anyway.

I used to run-commute and I'd wear that pack on my ~10 mile route home. Never got any bad chafe or blisters from it.

I would rather have issues with my running vest while running the 4 Pass Loop, than run 4 mile loops any day, much more enjoyable

No one is coming at those who wear them on substantial trail/ultra/hiking segments; those times are what the packs were designed for.

We don't know how OP is going to use it- if for above reasons, cool! Glad he has the scenery around him to take advantage of.

If he's going to show up to his local run club and wheeze his way through a 45 minute three-mile run...